Kukla's Korner Hockey

Category: NHLPA

The players, said union boss Paul Kelly, remain eager to work with league officials on adding penalties for those who target opponents’ heads with checks. “The trick is to do that without reducing the amount of contact that is part of what makes this such a great sport,” he said.

The five players on the Competition Committee: Jason Spezza, Mathieu Schneider, Brian Campbell, Jeff Halpern, and Ryan Miller. To sum up their dislikes: 1. whistles (needless stops in play) and 2. defensive, trapping hockey. Sounds like a group that gets it.

But hockey sources question whether Kelly’s comments, which also expressed support for Lindros, will mend what has become a deepening rift within the union, at the same time NHL players are trying to decide whether to terminate the current collective-bargaining agreement.

As reported by SportsBusiness Journal in November, Kelly and Lindros, who were staunch and vocal supporters of each other when they were both hired in 2007, are increasingly at odds with each other, according to numerous sources.

continued and thanks to SBJ for releasing the normally paid subscription link to KK.

Also from Liz Mullen of SBJ,

The NHL Players’ Association board of player representatives will vote later this month on whether to end the collective-bargaining agreement this year or extend it another two years, and it is widely expected they’ll choose not to opt out.

Sources said an announcement of the players’ decision may be made the week of the NHL All-Star Game, set for Jan. 25 in Montreal. NHLPA spokesman Jonathan Weatherdon said in an e-mail that players would vote on the issue in mid- to late January.

On the night of June 9, 1972, heavy rainfall, and the failure of the nearby Canyon Creek Dam, unleashed a wall of water that wiped out all of the homes in the area. The flood left 238 people dead.

In the wake of that tragedy, the city decreed that virtually all commercial and residential development along the creek that winds through Rapid City would be turned over to green space.

Bob Fuchs, a local businessman and hockey dad, went down to the rink at 10 p.m. on cold winter nights and flooded the surface so kids could skate the next day. There was one corner of the rink that caught more sun than the rest, so they had to add extra water. If it was windy, the leaves played havoc with the surface. Occasionally, the water pump for the rink would deliver a small trout or two from the creek.

At best, it was bumpy, but it was ice. There was hockey in Rapid City.

NHL players have been warned by their association that its escrow hold-back could be increased in the new year.

Currently, the NHL holds back 13.5 per cent of players’ paychecks. That money is available to the league at the end of the year in case NHL revenue projections are not met. The procedure was included as part of the most recent collective agreement so that players take home only their negotiated 56 per cent share of NHL revenues. Players have received back all of their escrow monies the past three seasons.

Executive director Paul Kelly took some time to provide an update on the NHLPA, its outlook on the economy, and how it will affect player salaries moving forward.

While cap problems might curb the trend of rising contracts, Kelly said the top-tier players heading into unrestricted free agency should still earn lucrative paydays. Kelly cited Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg as an example. “You’ve got to pay Henrik Zetterberg to play for you,” Kelly said. “He’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s an exciting player. He’s a guy who can singlehandedly carry a team. I don’t think a guy with his skill level is going to suffer that big a shock in the marketplace. He’s one example. There are dozens of guys that fit that profile.

more & Wings fans thank you Mr. Kelly for increasing the $$$ Zetterberg may be asking for!

“While the NHLPA does not condone Sean’s comments, which were clearly inappropriate, the discipline imposed by the Commissioner is unprecedented both in its severity, as well as the process by which it was handed down. We have also seen signals from the Dallas Stars that Sean’s contractual rights might be challenged. We are monitoring the situation as it develops, and we will evaluate all legal options as the circumstances warrant. In the meantime, our first priority is supporting Sean’s efforts to learn from his mistake and move forward in a positive manner.”

The NHL Players’ Association overhauled its constitution a year ago to prevent the union from repeating the errors of its past, but the union’s new structure is now causing friction between Executive Director Paul Kelly and ombudsman Eric Lindros.

Kelly and Lindros, once staunch supporters of each other, are increasingly at odds over their roles at the union, according to numerous hockey and sports industry sources.

continued and thanks to Sports Business Journal for allowing a normally paid subscription to be posted.

The Star has learned the NHLPA has filed a grievance over the Washington Capitals’ refusal to allow representatives of the union into the Capitals room.

The union believes this to be a violation of the agreement, which states: “No one other than NHL, NHLPA or team representatives or properly accredited members of the Media shall be allowed in dressing rooms during Media access periods.”

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the issue is isolated to one club. “From our perspective, it’s not something either the collective bargaining agreement or applicable law provides for or guarantees, and our position is that each club has the latitude to establish its own policy,” Daly said.

Removing the trapezoid, the area behind the goal line where NHL goaltenders are allowed to play the puck, is another idea that will get discussed by the competition committee.

Some believe, the combination of forwards barreling in on the forecheck, protected from obstruction, and goaltenders not being allowed to freely move the puck have contributed to injury.

Paul Kelly wonders if Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mike Van Ryn would have been in the same vulnerable position if Vesa Toskala had been allowed to get to the puck before Montreal’s Tom Kostopoulos raced in to complete his check…

So we conducted our own more detailed NHL player poll. Here are the questions and answers from both (since results of the NHLPA survey have not been tabulated yet, we offer instead our own unofficial estimations):

Actual NHLPA question: Would you support the competition committee investigating a penalty for head shots?

Yes: 75 per cent

No: 25 per cent

Our followup: Would you support a penalty for shots to Sean Avery’s head?